Thanks to the constant snowfall this winter, kids have been unsupervised in their own homes quite often. If you have seen Home Alone, you know that danger lurks inside the home for unsupervised adolescents. General home safety concerns for kids are similar to those for the rest of the family.
Here are some guidelines:
1. According to the Red Cross, 65 percent of home fires occur in homes with no working smoke alarms. Make sure there is a smoke detector and carbon monoxide (CO) detector on every level of your home and outside of every sleep area.
2. Replace alkaline batteries in detectors every 6 months and replace detectors every 10 years.
3. Keep a fire extinguisher in your home and make sure your teen knows how to use it.
1. Post emergency phone numbers and information about how to locate your home (e.g., address, nearby landmarks) near each telephone. Include the following numbers:
Poison control, Pediatrician, Police/Fire department, Ambulance service and Trusted neighbor or nearby friend.
2. Teach your teens how to safely operate any appliance before allowing them to use it independently (Adolescents under the age of 16 should not operate riding lawnmowers).
*Chart courtesy of the University of Louisiana at Monroe